PS, in answer to Ian's PS, isnt the ultimate life-form a morris dancer who is also a musician. (both a bit questionable in my case but hey....)
I always though that Morris musicians were Morris dancers who's knees had gone. :)
In my case sadly true -- but I didn't do my knee in dancing, I did it getting out of bed one morning...
(swung my legs out of bed, tore a ligament off the bone, carted off to hospital in pyjamas -- which I wasn't wearing when I got out of bed, but I couldn't get dressed and didn't fancy appearing naked in casualty -- which left me on crutches for more than a week, and unable to dance since -- honest, guv)
Of course having danced for twenty years or so is a huge help when playing for dancers because it gives you an insight into what the music can do to make the dancers dance better. And the more practice you get at doing this the better, obviously. And a musician who doesn't dance any more spends more time playing than one who does, so...
In answer to Guy's question, the ultimate life-form must be a morris musician who *was* a dancer -- sorry Guy, you don't qualify :-)
Ian
P.S. Never mind the sophistry, get those wallets out!